Focusing on preventive care, the “Merck/Merial Manual for Pet Health” recently arrived at bookstores and provides in-depth wellness information for cats, dogs, horses, birds and fish.

The book is a consumer version of “The Merck Veterinary Manual,” a reference guide that has been published for veterinarians for more than 50 years. Approximately 200 veterinary experts contributed to the book, which contains 85 chapters and 1,300 pages of information for pet owners.

The manual covers a variety of topics, such as selecting a pet, providing a safe home and signs and treatments for common ailments. In addition, special sections address issues, such as emergency care, diagnostic tests, diseases that pets can pass to people, drugs, vaccines and traveling with pets.

The book, priced at $22.95, was published through a partnership with pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. Inc. and Merial Limited, an animal health company. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Embery Institute for Wildlife Conservation.

The Morris Animal Foundation, a nonprofit that funds research projects benefiting companion animals as well as wildlife, will provide a complimentary copy of the book to those who donate a minimum of $100 to the foundation.